A group of young professionals from Springfield called The Network has created the Next Cities Task Force to examine ways to keep young business talent in the Springfield area. That group presented its findings in a 20-page report at the Jan. 4 City Council luncheon.
Task force chairman Ryan DeBoef, an Evangel graduate and attorney with Husch Blackwell LLP, told council members that the city’s cost of living was one of its greatest assets, and its lack of cultural diversity was one of its biggest weaknesses.
“With diversity, we’re in a hole on that issue,” DeBoef said.
According to a report conducted in 2009 by market research firm Next Generation Consulting, the city’s non-Caucasian population was 8 percent, but the noncaucasian population in Springfield Public Schools was more than 14 percent. DeBoef said the city should make efforts to retain those young minds by supporting an inclusive environment.
He said diversity is coming, but whether it stays is important to the future of the city. In terms of overall attractiveness, the study ranked Springfield No. 17 out of 49 cities with populations between 100,000 and 200,000.
The Network is a group of more than 100 professionals under the age of 40 organized through the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Next Cities Task Force comprises 12 members from a range of business disciplines. DeBeof said there were four topics that the task force found especially compelling and recommended council consider in economic development or long-range planning: earning and cost of lifestyle; trails and bike routes; smoking ordinances and policies; and diversity.
The report found that Springfield scored high in the categories focused on cost of living and commute times.
“Everyone knows that Springfield has a fabulous cost of living,” DeBoef said. “As young professionals here in town, we can buy these great houses while our friends that are living in big cities are living in one-bedroom apartments. Front and center, what’s great about Springfield is cost of living.”
The report also commended the city on maintaining low student-to-teacher ratios and its many higher education opportunities, though it expressed some concern about educational funding.
According to the report, Springfield ranked in the top 25 percent for average cost of food/groceries, housing and utilities in its population category.
The Missouri Economic Recovery and Information Center listed Missouri as having the 8th lowest cost of living in the United States in the third quarter of 2010 (See Fast Facts on page 4). According to www.springfieldpublicschools.org, the student-to-teacher ratio in the district is 20 to 1.
While cost of living is low, earnings in the area are a source of frustration for young professionals, according to DeBoef.
The report found Springfield’s per capita income is in the 76th percentile of per capita income in the U.S., and the city’s per capita income is growing slower than the national average.
In his presentation, DeBoef criticized the city’s lack of bike trails and bike paths for commuting as an issue for up-and-comers. He also said young professionals would like to see a citywide ban on smoking in public places, and city leaders should consider promoting a diversity statement to encourage people with diverse cultural backgrounds to invest in the community.
Councilman Robert Stephens cautioned that diversity statements made by public or private entities could obligate its authors to its own proclamations and be hard to live up to.
Mayor Pro-Tem Dan Chiles said that a more diverse community would come with many benefits.
According to a 2008 survey by Next Generation Consulting, 87 percent of Springfield’s young professionals said they value living in a diverse community, but only 48 percent said they believe they live in a diverse community.
The task force’s report points out that while a largely homogeneous population is a concern to members of the task force, Springfield is not without cultural diversity. The city boasts more than 14 culturally-distinct events, 15 organizations dedicated to addressing diversity and nine Web sites devoted to diversity issues.
Kim Garwitz, a 28-year-old Springfield native and director of development and marketing for the Springfield Little Theater, said she appreciated being a member of the task force and hoped that city leaders are focused on retaining the next generation of businesspeople.
“In order for the Springfield area to grow, both in the business community and in the city overall, it behooves all of us to make Springfield a more attractive place to live,” she said.
City Manager Greg Burris said he was pleased to see that many issues raised by the task force – such as connecting bike trails and examining a ban on smoking – also were on the radar of city staff and council members.
“It’s gratifying to see that the things that have been important to us are important to the next generation of business professionals,” Burris said.[[In-content Ad]]
